Hydros Pro

[passeparici]

As in many other cases speaking of the price seems to me a bit pointless. Some people just cannot afford it and for others it is acceptable. For someone that cannot afford it, he will always find other products that do the job very well and for less money. Then in those threads we always have people saying that BP/W are better (did they try the Hydro Pro by the way to have a fair comparaison ?), yes we know !! It has been said thousands of time it is way better until the end of time

 

[drrich2]

As in many other cases speaking of the price seems to me a bit pointless. Some people just cannot afford it and for others it is acceptable.

A couple of other factors impact this.

1.) Some people can afford it, but the sacrifice is not minor, and they don't want to do that unless there is substantially enhanced value over alternatives.

The poster child for this is the top of the Atomic Aquatics regulator line, where someone may post asking about a roughly $1,500 model. Yes, there are people who can (and do) afford them, but many who can would choose not to once well informed how they stack up against competitors (including AA's own mid. range and lower end reg.s).

2.) Some people aren't fully aware of how alternatives stack up. On ScubaBoard, it's easy to assume everyone's familiar with jacket vs. rear-inflate vs. BP/W, but many divers get much of their info. by walking into a dive shop, which might limit the conversation a bit to what they sell. Some of those people pondering options may search online and end up here.

If someone with the money and well-informed of their options chooses to buy a ScubaPro Hydros Pro, that's cool.

 

[Cheizz]

For me, it's not about preaching BP/W, it's an analysis of what you get (in terms of features) and what you pay for that. In terms of features, there are some claims that get my eyebrows raised (5 kg being called 'light-weight' for example). And then there is the price for the entire thing does definitely get my eyebrows raised.

 

[Robert H. Diver]

As in many other cases speaking of the price seems to me a bit pointless. Some people just cannot afford it and for others it is acceptable. For someone that cannot afford it, he will always find other products that do the job very well and for less money. Then in those threads we always have people saying that BP/W are better (did they try the Hydro Pro by the way to have a fair comparaison ?), yes we know !! It has been said thousands of time it is way better until the end of time

Why would I spend 2.5x’s more on the hydros pro when I could get a BPW for less that is more versatile and better quality? It’s excessively expensive for what it is. I’d love to know what features or advantages it provides that demand a $1200 price tag.

 

[inquis]

what features or advantages it provides that demand a $1200 price tag.

As best as I can tell: zero setup time and it's "grippy". I disliked the latter, but most respondents seem to think that's an advantage.

 

[dmaziuk]

Lemme guess, it trims out even better with split fins.

 

[Robert H. Diver]

As best as I can tell: zero setup time and it's "grippy". I disliked the latter, but most respondents seem to think that's an advantage.

I gladly traded the 25-30 min it took me to set up my BPW for the over $700 I saved.

 

[agmason]

Since Stainless Steel is less dense than lead, changing from lead weights to a SS backplate means you need more total weight for the same buoyancy - everything else being equal...

Is this right? I would think you are trying to say the stainless steel weight takes up more volume... So the weight you are carrying is volumetrically larger, but probably not that much. Now I'm nerding out going to have to do some reading.

 

[Cheizz]

What setup do you need with a BP/W? Just put the cam bands over the tank, tighten them, screw in your regulator, and open the valve. Done. Same as Hydros Pro I imagine?
When traveling, putting the wing on the backplate (harness stays attached, in my case) and repositioning the cam bands takes about 5 minutes. It takes a lot of travel-'take aparts' to overcome that € 400 price difference (seems to be even more in the US).
The pack size of my BP is 40 x 26 x 20 cm, it's 3.2 kg in total (including weight pockets). I don't think the Hydros Pro can beat that in terms of packability.

 

[agmason]

Continuing my nerding out...

After some very thorough internet investigation from the first google sources I found... the density of SS 304 = 0.289 lb/in3 and density of lead = 0.41 lb/in3. So for 6 lbs of weight you would need 20.76 in3 SS 304 and 14.63 in3 of lead (i.e. lead is about 42% more dense).

So in short you carry less lead weight (volumetrically) to get the same weighting effect. Pfuh.. I can now move on from this topic. Sorry everybody...